November 13, 2014

Rosetta: Waiting Game After Comet Lander Glitch (Source: BBC)
A European robot probe has made the first, historic landing on a comet, but its status is uncertain after harpoons failed to anchor it to the surface. Officials said the craft may have lifted off the comet after touchdown before returning to the surface. Lander project manager Stephan Ulamec said: "Maybe we didn't just land once, we landed twice." Further analysis is needed to fully understand the status of the probe, known as Philae. (11/12)

Rosetta Probe Philae Declared 'Stable' (Source: DW)
Mission chiefs based in the German city of Darmstadt said the European Space Agency (ESA) lander, Philae, failed to anchor to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after landing on Wednesday. However, the probe still managed to send back some scientific information and was declared to be in a "stable" situation on Thursday. The 100-kilogram (22 lb) module appears to have landed on a soft surface, but it is feared that it is not anchored. The harpoons that Philae had been due to fire to secure itself did not deploy successfully. (11/13)

Rosetta’s Malfunctioning Anchoring Harpoons are ‘Clearly Worrisome’ (Source: Washington Post)
Philae landed three times. According to the research team’s magnetic field analysis, the probe hit like a bouncy ball. It first struck the comet’s craggy surface at 15:33 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, which is five hours ahead of Eastern time), then bounced high back into space before floating back down to the surface two hours later at 17:26. It bounced again, then finally settled at 17:33. “Does this mean Philae is not stable on the surface?” one concerned person asked the team on Twitter. “Is stable now!” researchers responded. (11/13)

Around the World of Space Exploration (Source: Al Jazeera)
Space travel has long been a cooperative endeavor, to varying degrees, between different countries. Some significant acts of diplomacy during the Cold War happened in space between American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts, despite the furious rivalry between their respective space programs in other fields, like reaching the moon. Today the so called “space race” moves at a slower pace, and there is plenty of cooperation, but that doesn’t mean all the world’s space-faring nations are exploring the universe in the same way or for the same reasons. Click here. (11/12)

Poland Aims for the Stars (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
On the eve of establishing its own space agency, Poland is showing off its rebirthed ambitions to explore the final frontier. The new European Space Agency (ESA ) member state will host a space industry conference entitled “Poland in space yesterday, today and tomorrow”. The event will be held in Warsaw on Nov. 13-14 with the main idea of exchanging thoughts and information regarding the national space industry. (11/12)

How Religion Shapes Views of Space Exploration (Source: RNS)
New research suggests that religion may shape how people view space exploration. University of Dayton professor Josh Ambrosius finds that church attendance: decreases knowledge about space; lowers interest in space; makes people more pessimistic about space exploration; and leads people to believe that there is not life elsewhere in the universe. Belief that evolution is true is correlated with the belief that space exploration is good for society.

A link between views of creation/evolution and space exploration came out in the debate between Creation Museum founder Ken Ham and science educator Bill Nye. Ham encouraged NASA to continue exploration because he sees their inability to find life as proof that evolution is a false theory. If life is found through space exploration, then it will be interesting to see how Ham and other creationists respond to the news.

There were also some differences between religious groups. Evangelicals were less knowledgeable about space than mainline Protestants, Jews, and those with no religious affiliation. Catholics were the strongest believers in life elsewhere in the universe. As for Catholics, Pope Francis has already hinted that the Church should be open to anyone, including green Martians with long noses and big ears. (11/13)

Japanese Billionaire Sues 'Space Lawyer' (Source: CNS)
A Houston attorney bought Russian capsules for a commercial spaceflight venture that "were only museum pieces," defrauding a Japanese investor of $49 million, the billionaire investor claims in state court. Takafumie Horie, whose Internet portal company Livedoor made him a billionaire, sued Art Dula on Monday. Requests for comment from Dula, made through his law offices and through fellow defendant Excalibur Almaz Limited, were unsuccessful.

Horie claims Dula leveraged his position as trustee of the Heinlein trust to solicit him as a client and investor, claiming "he could set up a commercial space transportation program to carry cargo, scientific experiments, and people into low Earth orbit to the International Space Station and other space destinations." Dula bought four Russian space capsules and two space stations with Horie's money. But he says there was a major problem with the Russian equipment.

Dula "represented to plaintiff and others that the hardware could be made 'flight worthy,' and that he could refurbish, modify and update the equipment so that it would be certified for flight," the complaint states. It continues: "The purchase contracts had to be approved by the Russian government, and unbeknownst to plaintiff ... expressly excluded the right to modify the Russian hardware, thus relegating it to display uses only! The items were only museum pieces." (11/12)

SpaceShipTwo Pilot Unaware 'Feather' System Was Unlocked (Source: Space.com)
The pilot who survived the tragic crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo last month didn't know that his copilot unlocked the space plane's re-entry system early, investigators say. Alsbury apparently unlocked the vehicle's "feathering" system — which rotates SpaceShipTwo's tail booms upward to increase stability and drag during re-entry — too soon, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have said. (11/12)

Orion Arrives at Launch Pad for First Test Flight (Source: Reuters)
A new U.S. spaceship designed to fly astronauts to the moon, Mars and other destinations beyond the International Space Station arrived at a Florida launch pad on Wednesday in preparation for an unmanned test flight next month. The debut flight of the gumdrop-shaped capsule, called Orion and built by Lockheed Martin Corp for the U.S. space agency NASA, is designed to test the spaceship's computers, heat shield, parachutes and other equipment. (11/12)

ISS Raised to Prevent Collision with Debris of Chinese Satellite (Source: Itar-Tass)
The International Space Station was taken to a higher altitude on Wednesday in order to prevent a collision with orbital junk -— the debris of the Chinese satellite Yaogan-12, a spokesman for the Mission Control Center said. The maneuver was performed with the aid of the ATV European transport ship. (11/12)

Ariane 6, Coface Financing Dominate French Space Meeting (Source: Space News)
The French government will reform its Coface export-credit agency to enable it to offer financial backing to satellite projects at the same rates as its American counterpart, France’s space minister said Nov. 11. Genevieve Fioraso’s announcement followed a meeting of Cospace, a government-industry organization that coordinates French space policy.

A joint statement bearing the stamp of France’s defense, research and industry ministries, as well as the French aerospace industries association, said the parties “discussed the adaptation, already under way, of our system of export aid managed by Coface to make it as effective as the US Ex-Im Bank.”

Coface used to dominate export credits for satellite projects. But in the past five years the U.S. Export-Import Bank, aided by the arrival of a commercially competitive launch services provider, SpaceX, has surpassed Coface in total financing commitments. (11/12)

Chinese Hack U.S. Weather Systems, Satellite Network (Source: Washington Post)
Hackers from China breached the federal weather network recently, forcing cybersecurity teams to seal off data vital to disaster planning, aviation, shipping and scores of other crucial uses, officials said. The intrusion occurred in late September but officials gave no indication that they had a problem until Oct. 20, said three people familiar with the hack and the subsequent reaction by NOAA, which includes the National Weather Service. Even then, NOAA did not say its systems were compromised.

Officials also said that the agency did not notify the proper authorities when it learned of the attack. NOAA officials declined to discuss the suspected source of the attack, whether it affected classified data and the delay in notification. NOAA said publicly last month that it was doing “unscheduled maintenance” on its network, without saying a computer hack had made that necessary.

In a statement released Wednesday, NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen acknowledged the hacks and said “incident response began immediately.” He said all systems were working again and that forecasts were accurately delivered to the public. Smullen declined to answer questions beyond his statement, citing an investigation into the attack. (11/13)

Magnetic Explosion Probes Make it to the Cape (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Two probes joined an identical pair near their Florida launch site today for liftoff aboard an Atlas 5 rocket in March to study magnetic field explosions in space. Together, the quartet is NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, or MMS. Launch is slated for March 12. The spacecraft will fly in a tetrahedron formation, coming within 6 miles of each other, while looping around Earth to image “magnetic reconnections” or explosions in the magnetic field. (11/12)

Japan Plans Sensor on Satellite to Detect North Korean Missiles (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
The Defense Ministry is developing an infrared ray sensor for early warning satellites to help Japan detect ballistic missile launches on its own. The sensor is expected to be loaded onto the “advanced optical satellite” of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) scheduled for launch in fiscal 2019. The satellite will be used as part of measures to prepare for disasters.

The ministry will conduct a demonstration test on the accuracy of the sensor in detecting from space an object on Earth that emits heat. Infrared ray censors can detect high-temperature objects at all times of the day and are considered indispensable for early warning satellites. (11/13)

UK's Armadillo T-Shirt Sales Rocket Thanks to NASA Deal (Source: Insider Media)
A Derbyshire specialist clothing manufacturer is taking exports to a new extreme with its products set to be used in outer space. Duffield-based Armadillo Merino won an initial contract with NASA after the company entered a competition in the US for innovative fabrics. Armadillo approached NASA in June 2013 with a proposition to help it improve the protection, performance and comfort of space-station astronauts.

Since then the business has clinched three contracts with the space agency to supply specialist t-shirts. Armadillo managing director Andy Caughey said: "NASA has up to 100 astronauts training at any one time, so the clothes need to be suitable for both orbit and earth. "The clothing had all the attributes that NASA was looking for, as they are not just t-shirts – they are highly technical garments, classed as personal protection equipment. (11/13)

Defense Department Balks at RD-180 Replacement Program (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Defense Department “strongly disagrees” with congressional proposals to initiate a large, government-run program to replace a controversial Russian-made rocket engine that currently is used to launch national security missions, according to Pentagon correspondence.

While Defense Department leaders have stressed the need to wean the agency from dependence on the Russian-made RD-180 engine used on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket, the new correspondence, which appeals provisions in pending defense legislation, clearly favors alternatives to a major government-funded development effort.

“The Department firmly believes that it should not allocate resources to develop yet another engine that would fail to be integrated into a viable launcher, especially when it can meet the assured access to space requirement with existing privately funded vehicle families,” the Pentagon’s legislative affairs office said in a 30-page packet of conference appeals. “It is nearly impossible to develop a stand-alone rocket engine that can meet the needs of more than a single launch vehicle, or without extensive changes to even that single vehicle.” (11/12)

Chinese Hack U.S. Weather Systems, Satellite Network (Source: Washington Post)
Hackers from China breached the federal weather network recently, forcing cybersecurity teams to seal off data vital to disaster planning, aviation, shipping and scores of other crucial uses, officials said. The intrusion occurred in late September but officials gave no indication that they had a problem until Oct. 20, according to three people familiar with the hack and the subsequent reaction by NOAA, which includes the National Weather Service. Even then, NOAA did not say its systems were compromised.

Officials also said that the agency did not notify the proper authorities when it learned of the attack. NOAA officials declined to discuss the suspected source of the attack, whether it affected classified data and the delay in notification. NOAA said publicly in October that it was doing “unscheduled maintenance” on its network, without saying a computer hack made that necessary. (11/12)

Everything You Need to Know About Cometary Exploration (Source: The Conversation)
Exciting as it is (and it is incredibly exciting), the Rosetta mission is the latest in a history of comet exploration that has added to our knowledge of these icy dirtballs. Comets are usually just a few kilometers across and consist of a mixture of ice, carbon-based material and rock dust. A comet can develop a spectacular million kilometer-long tail of gas and dust when its elongated orbit brings it close to the sun.

It is hoped that access to a comet will provide a pristine, deep-frozen sample of the material from which the planets were built. Comets have been hitting the Earth since the Earth was formed. We currently do not know what fraction of Earth’s ocean water was delivered to the surface by comets after the Earth was formed, as opposed to water which escaped from inside and condensed on the early Earth.

Comets also carry organic molecules – and one theory has it that these building blocks for life on Earth were delivered by comets rather than forming here. Recent observations by the ALMA telescope in Chile revealed very simple organic molecules – two sorts of hydrogen cyanide and also formaldehyde – being made in comets today. Click here. (11/12)

Astronomers Watching Extreme Storms on Uranus (Source: Space Daily)
The normally bland face of Uranus has become increasingly stormy, with enormous cloud systems so bright that for the first time ever, amateur astronomers are able to see details in the planet's hazy blue-green atmosphere. "The weather on Uranus is incredibly active," said Imke de Pater of UC Berkeley. (11/13)

Prestwick Airport in 'Very Good Position' to Become UK Spaceport (Source: STV)
Prestwick Airport is in a "very good position" to become the UK's first spaceport, the deputy first minister has said. Nicola Sturgeon, however, said ministers could not make the Ayrshire site their preferred bidder at this early stage in the process. Airport bosses have already said winning spaceport status "would be the catalyst for transformational change" at Prestwick, which is currently running at a loss.

While Ms Sturgeon said the government must remain "neutral" at this stage of the contest, with six sites in Scotland in the running to be the UK's first-ever spaceport, she hinted that position could change. The deputy first minister said: "I think we've got every reason to feel very positive about going forward on this one. "We want to make sure that we're doing everything to secure Scotland as the winner of this bid, wherever in Scotland that may end up being. (11/12)

Cecil Spaceport Seeks to Renew Operating License, Improve Infrastructure (Source: Jacksonville Business Journal)
Cecil Spaceport is looking to renew its license, which is due to expire in January, for another five years, said Rusty Chandler, chief of Cecil Airport. One change the airport will seek in the renewal: the ability to keep the airport side of things operating while activity is happening at the spaceport. Now, the airport runway has to shut down if a rocket is going to be launched during the period between the oxidation of the rocket fuel and actual lift off. The renewed lease will limit any impacts on regular aviation.

Meanwhile, state grants are enabling the Jacksonville Aviation Authority to improve the infrastructure at the site. Two grants were received, the first being $2 million from the state budget for spaceport infrastructure. The second will be received soon, a $1 million grant from Space Florida. The money will be used to open up the east side of the runway with a taxiway connector and ramp area, with construction beginning next year. The east side site will be tucked away and used predominantly for spacecraft, to eliminate any negative impacts on the regular airport. The connector and ramp will allow easier access to the area. (11/13)

Dark Matter's New Wrinkle: It May Behave Like Wavy Fluid (Source: Space.com)
The mysterious dark matter that makes up most of the matter in the universe may behave more like wavy fluids than solid particles, helping to explain the shapes of galaxies, a new study suggests. Dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos. It is thought to be an invisible and mostly intangible substance that makes up five-sixths of all matter in the universe. Click here. (11/12)